University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

The urban public law school with a small liberal arts feel

The Inns of UMKC John Winslow Snyder (1855-1910)   John Winslow Snyder was born in Troy, New York in 1855. He studied law at Richmond College in Virginia, where he was awarded medals for best debater and best writer. In 1879 he began to practice law in Kansas City. He was elected secretary of the newly formed Kansas City School of Law and was said to have delivered more lectures than anyone else in the school. He lectured on Agency and Partnership, Evidence and other subjects. He worked on a test case to determine the power of Kansas City to frame a new charter. He lost the race for city attorney in 1883 as the Democratic candidate and took the loss hard. In addition to his scholarship in law, he wrote articles on literature. Edward Ellison described Mr. Snyder "as a prince of after dinner speakers, and as an impromptu speaker at these festive occasions I have never heard his equal."